Method for the manufacture of articles from plastic material



1 Dec. 21', 1926.

Y 1 T. J MELL METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM PLAs TIc MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet i METHOD 570R THEMANUFACTURE 0F ARTICLES FROM PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Dec. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 and for obtainin Patented Dec. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICEQ won .1. mean, or SUMMIT countr OHIO.

METHOD non THE MANUFACTURE or narrows rac al: rLAsrI o MATERIAL.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,532;

This invention relates to procedure and apparatus for the manufacture of articles frominitally plastic material-such as unvulcanized rubber compounds and is of especial value in the manufacture of decorative inlaid sheeting, and especially rubber sheet- .111

y chief objects are to provide economical procedure and apparatus for associating masses of plastic stocks of different colors, or differing in other characteristics, in accordance with a determinate geometric plan tom the associated masses aplurality of finished articles, such as sheets of floor-covering material, for example, each comprising parts of the original masses of stock, determinately associated in the article.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a pair of calenders which may be used in practising the method of the invention;

, .Figure 2 is a detail view of one T of the calender rolls;

Figure 3. ,is a fragmentary perspective View showing the preferred procedure for forming a composite stock sheet adapted to be split to produce variegated sheets;

Figure 4 is a view'showing parts of apparatus similar to a common type of leather splitting-machine which may be used for the slitting of the sheets;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of a portion of a single sheet showing a preferred form given to the mating portions thereof;

Figure 6 is a section through a'composite sheet made from two sheets. similar to that shown in Figure 5;

' Figure 7 is a plan view ofa mold section adapted to be used in. a modification of the method of obtaining the decorative ele ments; and

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8'-8 of Figure 7 of the mold section there shown. with stock therein and with a mating mold section in place thereon. a The specific form of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration herein comprises the formation of two sheets of composition material having complementary projections and recesses, uniting the two sheets into a-composite sheet and cutting the sheet or slitting it through a centrally located plane so as'to obtain two separate-decorative sheets. The composite sheet thus formed may be considered as comprising an upper and lower stratum of different colors sheet, it is not wholly limited enders 1 placed in opposin at 9 in Figure 3.

and an intermediate stratum made up of matingprojections integral with their re-'.

spectivestrata, While the invention will be described with reference to this type of stock thereto.

In Figure '1- there are'illustrated two cal-[ relation, each ls, all of which manner. The

calender comprising three ro are heated in any suitable upper rolls and a mass or bank of rubber 4 is laced at .the entrance to the rolls. This rub er composition is colored in any suitable manner and each calender is. desiggied to operate upon a different colored ru depressions and projections on one roll are ber and by the-v two rolls the rubber is formed in a sheet 5 of 2 and 3 are preferablysmooth designed to mate withor be complementary to those on the other roll.

As the rubber the pressure exerted by rubber into the surface tha-ta sheet is formed similar From the lowerv calender roll the rubber sheets are led to a pair Of'IOllS 10 which may also be heated if desired. These rolls are parallel and spaced slightlyapart so that the two sheets of rubber meet and join to- 1 gether with their projections and recesses mating. This action is-illustrated in Figsheet passesfrom'the rolls 3 on to the roll 6,,

the rolls forcesthe of the latter roll so 0 that shown ures 1 and 3 and it will be observed that in passingaround the rolls the. sheets tend to mate perfectl The rollsforce the sheets 9 together so formed. y

At this point it should be noted-that in this embodiment of the invention the two sheets are formed with a complete surface over one side, or, in other words, the pattern is not perforated or cut through each sheet, but is that the composite sheet If issimply depressed'or-formed in relief. 1 The purpose of-this feature'is to maintain the sheet in its pro. or stretching. This feature is particularly useful when dealing with a warm rubber sheet which can be easily distorted.

,In the formation of the rubber sheeting, the vulcanization may take place at any time, but it is preferable to vulcanize the sheetll as-it is delivered by the calenders and before the next step, which is the slitting operation, but, for a smooth finish, it

or form'without distortion I ferred apparatus for thisoperation sheets 12, each of which is formed with the desired pattern. My invention is not wholly limited, however, to a single slittingof the composite sheet and the production ofonly two sheets therefrom. The slitting or slicing operation is preferably performedby means adapted to confine the stock closely in advance of'the knife but without pressing it against the faces of the knife. The preis partly shown inFig. 4, and comprises (a pair of guiding'rolls 13, 13, preferably so spaced apart with relation to the thickness of the sheet as to embrace the same'tightly'as it passes between them, and a band knife 14 mounted upon the usual pulleys 15, one of which isof course provided with driving means, the. knife being positioned so asto be adapted to slice the sheet continuously as the latter emerges'from the nip of the rolls 13.

After the slicing operation the cut surfaces of the resulting sheets may be smoothed or polished, by grinding, or by the above described further vulcanization after the cutting, in which case the cut-surface is of coursevulcanized in contact with a suitable smooth surface.

In the manufacture of rubber sheeting" in accordance with the particular form of my invention herein" described it is preferable to have'a tapered or oblique dividing plane between the blocks rather than a plane at right angles to the lane of the sheet. By this construction a etter union is obtained between the=different blocks, in addition to which-feature the mating of the.

, blocks is made more easily.- As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tapering surfaces are provided near the top and bottom of each lock or figure of the pattern as indicated by the numeral 16. In certain patterns the tapered sides of the blocks or figures may be continued overthe entire meeting surfaces, but in a design such as has beenillustrated where thecorners of the pattern are in contact, it is necessary to provide a'slight area where the sides of the figures arevertical and to cut tlie composite sheet through;

the vertical surfaces. vThese vertical surfaces are designated by the numerals 17.

In Figures 7 and 8 the separate sheets are molded in. definite sizes inmolds comprising a matrix or female mold 18 and a cover or lid 19'. This process is substantially similar to thatis'hown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 except that molds are substituted for the rolls.

Certain features of procedure and apparatus disclosed herein are described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 42,001, filed July 7, 1925.

-Various other modifications may be enrployed without departing from the scope of my invention, especially as to the manner in which the original stock sheet or mass is-assembled or formed.

What is claimed is:

1. The process of manufacturing rubber articles which comprises shaping respective strips of unvulcanized rubber compounds in designs such that designielements' of one strip are adapted to interfit with those of. another, feeding the strips progressively into association with each other with their dc sign elements interfitt-ing, and dividing the I resulting structure to produce a plurality of articles each comprising material of each of the interfitted strips, the eluding a vulcaniz'ing step. I

2. The process of manufacturing rubber articles which comprises shaping respective strips of unvulcaniz'ed rubber compounds of different characteristics in designs such that design elements of one strip are adapted to interfit with those of another, feeding the strips progressively into association with each said process in-' other with their design elements interfitting',

and dividing the resulting structure to produce a plurality of articles each -comprising material of each of the interfitted, strips, the materials being subjected to vulcanization both before and after the dividing step.

3. The process of manufacturing patterned sheeting from rubber, comprising the steps of forming sheets from different colored rubber masses, impressing in'the sheets recesses and projections in accordance with the desired design, bringing said sheets together with the recesses and projections thereon in mating relation whereby a composite sheet is formed, vulcanizing the rubber, located between the outer surfaces of the composite sheet.

and dividing the sheet along a plane- 4. The process of manufacturing patterned sheeting from rubber,

of forming two sheets from different colored [rubber masses, impressing without perforatng the sheets with recesses and projections in accordance with the desired design, bringcomprising the steps ing said sheets together with the recesses and pro ect1ons thereon in mating relation whereb a composite sheet is formed, and dlvldmg the sheet along a plane located between the outer surfacesjof the composite sheet, said process including a vulcanizing 5. The process of manufacturing patterned sheeting from rubber, comprising the steps of forming two sheets from different colored rubber masses, impressing without perforating the sheets with recesses in accordance with the desired design, bringing said sheets together with the recesses and pro ections and projections thereon in mating relation whereby a composite sheet is formed, dividing the sheet along a plane located between the outer surfaces of the composite sheet, and thereafter vulcanizing the rubber.

6.'The process of manufacturing decorative inlaid rubber sheeting, comprising forming a single composite sheet having an upper stratum of rubber or one color, a

lower stratum of another color and an in termediatestratum made up of mating projections integral with respective upper and lower strata, and dividing the sheet through its intermediate stratum, said process including a vulcanizing step.

I 1 TOD J. MELL. 

